


Archer's Paradox

by LavenderWine



Series: Vicious [1]
Category: Ebon Light (Visual Novel)
Genre: Archery Lessons, Banter, F/M, Gen, Oneshot, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-18 01:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21519925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LavenderWine/pseuds/LavenderWine
Summary: A certain smug scout gives Riala a lesson in archery.
Relationships: Laceaga Darhal/Alenca Goffil | Main Character
Series: Vicious [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562023
Comments: 4
Kudos: 61





	Archer's Paradox

It was a nice day out. Nice for a day in Gha’alia anyway. The downpour had been relentless for a week and it had finally cleared,leaving behind an overcast but welcomed sky. Riala had briefly considered taking the day just to herself since rain free days were so rare but she had thought better of it. Archery training was progressing painfully slow, too slow for her tastes. Saffron, Imre and Chandler had helped her somewhat but she still struggled to draw back her bow.

‘Maybe it will be a bit easier without all of the damn rain.’ she mused.

Riala knew it was wishful thinking on her part but that bit of optimism was what gave her enough confidence to grab her weapons and slip out of the mansion unnoticed. Duliae would not be thrilled with her leaving without a word, she realized with a wry grin. But then again, she wasn’t thrilled with all of the parading he had planned for her that day and she intended to make herself scarce. 

It was simple enough to slip out into the dense woods that were flush against Gha’alia’s city walls. Here she could get her privacy and quiet. Harpies may have infested the woods but Riala felt confident that she could handle them with the Cuthintal. And a private training session without any harassment from Saffron was something she just couldn’t resist.

Riala had found a clearing only a mile away from the city and had practiced for an hour when a familiar voice interrupted her.

“The Rabbit thinks she’s ready for the woods alone.”

She stiffened, “Lacey.”

The scout emerged from the trees to her right, lips twisted into an amused smirk. She pinned him with an unimpressed stare. Laceaga always had a gift for getting under her skin without hardly trying and he seemed to relish in it. It was like he knew that she was pointedly trying to keep her expression blank for his smirk widened even further. 

“So bold. Did you not think about how this forest has a number of Gha’alian wildlife that would happily make a meal of you?”

Riala could feel his golden eyes on her, so she pointedly did not look at him. Instead she nocked back another arrow, arm pulling against the powerful string, “Why don’t you go kidnap another poor, innocent girl.” She grunted, straining against the resistance, “Someone might pay you for it-!”

When she released the arrow, the string flung forward and snapped against her wrist earning a painful snarl from her. Riala instantly dropped the weapon, cradling her forearm as she spat every curse she knew between her gritted teeth. Soft laughter met her ears, causing her to grind her teeth more in response. Riala had never heard him move but he was already so close.

Laceaga caught her injured wrist in his hand, shockingly gentle in his grip. He clucked his tongue as inspected the damage, her skin already welting painfully, red and the flesh beneath it darkening. Riala let out a hiss when he lightly traced the area with his finger, her hands clenched tightly into fists.

“I’m surprised you haven’t done this to yourself sooner.” He smirked, eyes half lidded.

She growled at him and tried to yank her hand away but he did not let go and Riala did not want to hurt her arm any more than she already had. Begrudgingly she held still in his grasp, trying to school her face into an expression of stony indifference. Her back stiffened when he slowly used his thumb to trace the heel of her palm and she prayed that he wouldn’t feel her fluttering pulse.

"Are you insulting me?" Riala asked tightly.

Laceaga arched a black brow at her, "Not this time. Although your archery leaves much to be desired, every archer worth their shot has injured themselves like this at least once." He released her then and lifted his left hand, tapping against the guard that he had strapped to the inside of his wrist, "That's why many wear these."

Riala deflated. She hadn't expected actual advice from him and loathe as she was to admit it, hearing that wasn't a stupid mistake made her feel slightly better. She heaved a sigh and pushed her long red hair back over her shoulder. None of the scouts that Gawloyes saddled her with had told her that and she wondered if there was anything else that they had neglected to mention during her training. 

“I hadn’t realized...I guess I’ll have to find out how to get one of those.”

Laceaga nodded before a smirk unfurled across his mouth, “Wouldn’t want to abuse your soft human flesh too much, would we?”

She narrowed her green eyes into a vicious glare at him. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to taunt her by being insulting or if he was intentionally trying to sound suggestive. Riala cleared her throat, shifting her attention away from his tone and how close he was..

“Why are you here? Did Duliae send you to drag me back to the mansion?”

“Not everything is about you. I’m still a scout outside of Duliae’s service.”

Riala huffed and snatched up her fallen bow, gingerly avoiding her injury. She decided to ignore him and settled back into a firm stance, pulling another arrow from her quiver to nock back and try again.

“Well why don’t you go  _ scout _ someplace else.” She grunted, pulling back on the string.

A throaty chuckle rolled over her ears, “I’m finished with my patrol...hmmm you won’t hit anything with a stance like that.”

Riala ground her teeth, “Lacey. Unless you are offering to help,  _ shut up _ .”

She had expected that would be the end of it. That he would head back into Gha’alia and leave her alone where she could practice in peace. But he proved her woefully wrong when she felt his form suddenly against her back, his arms reaching around her to correct her hold on the bow.

“Your fingers should be here.”

Demanding hands nudged her fingers into place along the bowstring, the contrast between his exposed thumb and gloved fingers tantalizing against her skin. His breath was hot in her ear, brushing along the line of her jaw. A heated flush began to pool in her cheeks. Laceaga slid his hand slowly up her forearm, halting at her elbow to shift it into an appropriate position. Riala could feel the heat of him pooling on her back and his sheer proximity made her feel like an exposed nerve. Every shift of him behind her set her on edge, caused her breath to nearly hitch in her chest. 

“Pull back further, your hand should be drawn back to your ear.” 

His voice rumbled in her ear and she swallowed thickly, gripping her bow tighter in her hand. Riala tried to pull further but the muscles in her arm began to quake violently, her strength straining against the resistance. Frustration bubbled in her gut. She wanted to get this but what’s more she wanted to get it in front of  _ him _ . Laceaga would surely be insufferable in his teasing of her weakness and she didn’t want to hear it. But it was too much, the resistance of her bow, the trembling in her limbs from both exertion and the feel of his hands on her and his form crowding against hers. Eventually she was forced to let out a rush of air and drop her stance, relaxing her pull on the bow.

Laceaga laughed, “I shouldn’t be surprised.” he plucked the arrow from her string and pushed it back into her quiver, “Just focus on being able to pull back the string and your stance. It won’t do you any good to fire arrows if you can’t even handle the bow.”

“Fine.” she grumbled.

She had thought he would be finished but he pressed even closer, arms reaching around to shadow hers as she lifted her weapon to draw back as he instructed. His left hand slid over her arm to drift between them, pressing against the small of her back while his right drifted to her collarbone.

“Keep your back straight.”

He was too close, his large form nearly swallowing her as he corrected her posture and grip. Once again Riala could feel his hot breath ghosting across her skin and she tried to focus on anything but him. Heat pooled in her belly, heat that she pointedly ignored to keep her stance the way he directed. That is until he clucked his tongue once more in her ear.

“And your legs…” Her heart beat against her chest when he slipped one of his own between her knees, “Stand like this.”

With ease he pushed his right leg against hers and slid it into position. Riala swallowed thickly, her breathing more ragged as she struggled to regain control of her composure. A hand reached up to take a hold of her jaw, shifting her face just slightly away from the bow.

“Keep your head here.”

He drifted away from her then, leaving her form cold as she stood on her own. Riala held her position with the bow drawn while the scout circled her, inspecting her stance. Laceaga moved slowly around her, agonizingly so and it made her think that he was doing it on purpose to get under her skin. Somehow the loss of him pressed against her and him carefully inspecting her made Riala’s nerves feel even more raw. He was silent for several moments before at last he smirked lazily at her, nodding in approval.

“Good. Practice with that stance.” He laughed, “Remember Rabbit, don’t stab yourself with an arrow.”

“Thank you for such sage advice.” She deadpanned, relaxing her pull on the bow, “My poor human mind would have never gathered that on my own.”

Laceaga shot her a lazy smirk, “Indeed. Humans are so... _ vulnerable _ .”

Riala’s lip curled in disdain, “Keep that up and I’m going to take it as you volunteering to be my target.”

“In order for that to be a proper threat you would have to actually be able to fire an arrow with reasonable accuracy first.”

She gave him a wicked smirk of her own, “I never said it would be for archery.”

He raised his brows in muted surprise before grinning, “No Rabbit, I suppose you didn’t.” Laceaga paused, “Well, let’s get you back to Duliae. Unless you want him to pay me to haul you back?”

“I won’t be as easy to take this time.” She shot back.

“Hmmm no you won’t. You’ve started to develop a bite, haven’t you?”

“That...did you just give me a compliment?”

He ignored her, “Far more than when you first cowered before me.”

“ **I did not cower.** ” 

She ground her teeth together in fury. How could anyone be so obnoxious and irritating? Laceaga had been bad enough since day one but over the course of the past month he had become even more insufferable. And more smug. She felt her face growing redder when he ignored her words once again.

“Come.” He grinned and dropped his voice slightly, “Unless you want more lessons from me?”

“I-you-!” Riala spluttered angrily before snatching up her bow and stalked towards him, “Let’s just go.”

“There’s a good Rabbit.”

“You have to be the most obnoxious man in all of Caleare and I cannot stand you…”

Riala spent the entire walk glowering at his back, trying to calm the beating of her heart and push the memory of his hands on her from her mind.


End file.
